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2 exonerated for a 1994 rape & murder

Changing channels the other day I saw a small piece of this story. All I saw was the part where they got out of jail and that they had been 'wrongfully convicted'. Then I didn't give it any more thought. Today I see the story on ESPN's website. It's a great read if you care. I do enjoy the ESPN E:60 series. I'm a bit of a behind the scenes junkie.

Back to this story about Chip. A body is found in the basement where Chip lives. She's been dead for 2 weeks. Chip finds the body and calls the police. She was raped and murdered. Turns out Chip was the last person seen with the deceased. Cops interview Chip. Chip denies knowing the victim. Somewhere along the lines Chip confesses and signs a statement. He also implicates 2 other people. The other 2 guys, 1 is a convicted rapist and the other a convicted murderer. 24 year old Chip has never been charged but was arrested once for unlawful use of a weapon. In another article I read, Chip is identified as a gang member but the ESPN article doesn't mention that fact. Of the other 2 men Chip implicates, 1 gives a confession and the other doesn't admit guilt nor sign a confession. Both guys that confessed are tried. The other guy released and not charged.

Yada, yada, yada. Trial. Conviction. When the judge asks Chip if he has anything to say he states:

Just to let the victim's family know that I'm sorry for what had happened

Not exactly an admission of guilty. Chip gets life plus 30 years.

2 decades later DNA tests are done on semen found in the victim's underpants. The DNA belongs to a serial rapist and not any of the 3 suspects nor the dead woman's boyfriend at the time of her murder. The state of Illinois releases both imprisoned men based on the DNA results. There isn't going to be a retrial and both men are declared innocent via a certificate of innocence.

So who killed this woman? Did these 3 guys have anything to do with it? Why would you confess if you were innocent?

We watched the movie Conviction, yesterday, based on Kenny Waters. Similar situation. My BF very well may have crossed paths with him in the 80's since they were from the similar area and he used to go to the diner where Kenny worked. Another close to home tidbit, is when the sister Betty Ann (portrayed by Hillary Swank) is entering the town of Ayre, there is a shot of one of his family homes, that is actually being sold this week.